Top priority would be accorded to opening model schools at pre-nursery and primary levels in all districts of Jammu and Kashmir to improve the quality of education, the state government today said. Intervening during the Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed also asked state Education Minister Naeem Akhtar to take up the issue of opening more Kendriya and Navodaya Vidyalayas with the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). “There is an urgent requirement to establish more KVs in J&K. We will have to approach the HRD Ministry and I will also meet the Minister for HRD in Delhi in this regard,” he said “…To improve the quality of education, top priority would be accorded …

The Central government is planning to set up five new medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir, the state government said on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question of NC member Devender Rana in the Legislative Assembly today, the Minister for Health and Medical Education Chaudhary Lal Singh said that the Government of India has “identified opening of five new Medical Colleges for J&K State”. He said that the formalities required under the Medical Council of India guidelines, including submission of Detailed Project Report (DPR) and signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between state and central government, have been completed. The department had also requested the Centre to release funds to start the construction work, he said.

Centre on Monday sanctioned Rs 200 crore for immediate rescue and relief operations in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir. This information was provided by Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed to the Assembly on Monday, according to an official press release which came in the form of a clarification. The clarification was issued after Sayeed told the Assembly that “I have authorised release of Rs 225 crore in favour of Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and Rs 10 crore in favour of Divisional Commissioner, Jammu and SDRF (State Disaster Relief Fund) for rescue and relief.” The official statement, quoting Sayeed, later said, “Central government has granted Rs 200 crore as immediate relief fund for floods.” Out of this, Rs 25 crore has been released in …

Prepaid mobile services in Jammu & Kashmir and the northeastern states will be allowed to continue for two more years from Wednesday in a decision on Monday by the government that will benefit the existing 33 million subscribers there. The licence of the telecom operators for providing prepaid services in these areas expires on Tuesday. A high-level committee headed by Union home secretary LC Goyal discussed the matter after which it was decided to give the nod for continuance of these pre-paid services, official sources said. The home ministry, while granting permission, reiterated to the service providers that they have to maintain utmost precaution in issuing SIM cards and ensure proper verification. J&K shares borders with Pakistan while most of …

Terming NC MLA Javed Rana’s statement against the speaker as being against parliamentary norms and most uncivilized conduct, BJP demanded an apology from NC Legislative Party (NCLP) leader Omar Abdullah and action against the NC member. “BJP demanded a public apology from leader of NCLP Omar Abdullah besides seeking internal action by the National Conference against the erring MLA,” BJP state Chief Spokesperson Sunil Sethi told reporters here today. Jammu and Kashmir Assembly yesterday witnessed ruckus after ruling BJP and PDP members slammed NC member Javed Rana for accusing Speaker Kavinder Gupta of being “biased” and demanded action against him. Rana on Tuesday evening in the Assembly had said, “I am denied time to speak. I have not been allowed …

10-member panel to be chaired by Dy. CM Coalition partners PDP and BJP have formed the Coordination Committee to ensure that the agenda for the Alliance is implemented within the defined timeframe and all the policy issues adhered to in letter and spirit. The eight member Coordination Committee comprises of four members from each party. The Coordination Committee will be chaired by Dr. Nirmal Kumar Singh, Deputy Chief Minister. The other members of the Coordination Committee include party presidents Ms Mehbooba Mufti and Mr. Jugal Kishore, Mr. Muzaffar Hussain Beigh. Mr. Tariq Hamid Karra, Mr Thusptan Chhewang and Mr. Shamsher Singh, Members of Parliament and Choudhary Lal Singh, Mr Abdul Rehman Veeri and Mr. Naeem Akhter, Cabinet Ministers in the …

Twenty-nine villages have been identified as unsafe to live in for people in the aftermath of the floods in the State, the Government today said. Replying to a question of Congress member Jahangir Hussain Mir in the Legislative Council here today, Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation, Syed Basharat Bukhari said 29 village habitations, areas have been identified as unsafe following the floods last year. “Out of which, three villages are in Poonch district”, he said. The minister said that the three locations in two villages in Chowki Choura and one location in Surinsar in tehsil Jammu are unsafe, Hamelt Saddal and its surrounding area of village Panjar in Udhampur district, Seri halmet of Tanda, Mansoo, Kanjli, Kundra, Dera Badu, Kansar …

NC legislator from Mendhar Javed Rana Wednesday accused speaker of the state assembly Kavinder Gupta of taking orders from Nagpur headquarters of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to run the state assembly. Rana also accused the PDP of bending on its knees for the sake of forming an alliance with the BJP. Rana made these allegations after he was denied an opportunity to speak on the motion of grants of the Finance department in the house. Rana had also provoked strong reaction from BJP and PDP legislators in the question hour on wednesday. Rana had called speaker Kavinder Gupta a BJP speaker and Hindu Speaker in the second sitting before staging a walk out from the house after he was disallowed by …

Jammu and Kashmir government, in its move to develop Jammu region as an independent tourist destination, today announced creation of an International Yoga Centre at the famous pilgrim spot of Mantalai in Udhampur district. J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed also said the government will favourably consider a ‘subsidised tour package’ for leisure destinations in Jammu region in the upcoming holiday season. “Mantalai will be promoted as a brand. International Yoga Centre here will have a cascading effect on tourist inflow. I am sure that once the Centre comes up, the flow of tourists to Mantalai will pick up,” Sayeed said, while addressing an interactive session during a J&K Tourism Conference. The conference, organised to conceptualise an out-of-box strategy to …

A total of 124 schools in Jammu and Kashmir have no students. This was revealed by J&K Education Minister Naeem Akhtar in Legislative Council in Jammu on Monday. “There are 50 schools with zero per cent students in Jammu Province while in Kashmir Division, 74 schools have zero per cent students,” Akhtar said in reply to a question of the National Conference MLC Shahnaz Ganai. Ganai pointed about deficiency of teachers in schools in rural areas as compared urban areas and sought the details from the government on recruitment of teachers in schools having less number of the faculty as compared to the students vis-à-vis the schools with more teachers than the students. Minister said the government will the fast …